Tom Brady
tied a playoff record with six touchdown passes - three to tight end Rob Gronkowski to match another postseason mark - as the top-seeded Pats buried the Denver Broncos 45-10 Saturday night to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth time in the Brady-Bill Belichick era. The win broke a three-game playoff skid for the Patriots, dating to theSuper Bowl XLII loss that marred their previously perfect 2007 season.
The Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens or Houston Texans next Sunday afternoon.BOX SCORE: Patriots 45, Broncos 10PHOTOS: The playoffs in picturesMORE: 49ers give vintage playoff performance
After seemingly captivating the nation with his magical performance in last week's wild-card win over thePittsburgh Steelers, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow wasn't a factor on this night, completing just nine of 26 passes for 136 yards but none of the downfield throws that marked his heroics in that unforgettable overtime thriller.
But Tebow never stood much of a chance given the way
Tom Brady
shredded the Denver defense all night.Tom Brady
needed just 1:51 to drive the Patriots 80 yards in five plays on the opening possession, capping it with a 7-yard scoring strike to Wes Welker. The next New England march covered 59 yards and seven plays with Gronkowski snaring a 10-yard TD pass.Tom Brady had a hand in the next touchdown, too … albeit because his fifth interception in his last three playoff starts set up Denver's only TD (a 5-yard Willis McGahee run on the first play of the second quarter). But that was the last time the Broncos would look remotely competitive on this night.
At one point in the third quarter, Tom Brady had six TD passes while Tebow had three completions.
Gronkowski caught 10 balls for 145 yards. Fellow second-year tight end snared four for 55 and had his own score. Hernandez also notably lined up in the backfield and let the Patriots with 61 rushing yards on five carries, Belichick's latest innovative wrinkle.
@ustoday.com
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